Easter on Parade is a decades-old Richmond tradition featuring colorful, creative and fancy hats for people and pets. (Photo courtesy Venture Richmond)
Artists capture dancers' movement, and dancers interpret theatrical works in two of this weekend’s happenings. Plus, there’s Easter on Parade, the opening of VCU's annual end-of-the-year undergraduate art exhibitions and a visit by radio and TV personality Sway Calloway for the Richmond premiere of the short film “The Cycle.”
Sway Calloway (photo by Raymond Hagans)
Calloway, executive producer of “The Cycle” (and host of the Sirius XM Shade 45 show “Sway in the Morning,” also known for being an on-air personality on MTV and VH1) and actress Kaili Turner will take part in a Q&A session after the 7 p.m. Thursday screening at the VCU Student Commons Commonwealth Ballroom, 907 Floyd St. Told from the perspective of a New York City police officer who kills an innocent teen and is cleared of wrongdoing, the film takes an in-depth look at the cycle of police violence in the African-American community. The event is presented by VCU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Afrikana Independent Film Festival and The Cheats Movement. It’s free, but there’s a $5 suggested donation. Here’s a trailer:
Also on Thursday is the opening of “Shorts,” in which KDance adapts a monologue by Tennessee Williams (“Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen”) and Shel Silverstein’s “The Garbage Bags,” about Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, who would not take the garbage out, among other pieces. You can see it Thursday to Saturday at Richmond Triangle Players in Scott's Addition. (Here’s Harry Kollatz Jr.’s preview)
On Friday at Art Works, “Let’s Dance,” a collaborative (and free) art event utilizes drawing, sculpture, photography and film to capture and document the movements of artists from Manchester’s Dogtown Dance Theatre. Plus there’s the monthly juried All Media Show and the Recycle Art Show. (To read more, see our preview.)
Easter on Parade has been a Richmond tradition for decades. More than 10,000 people and dogs converge on Monument Avenue from 1 to 5 p.m. on Easter Sunday. The street is closed to vehicles between Allen and Davis avenues, and there’s music, arts, crafts, children’s activities, food, balloon artistry and a petting zoo, with a Pet Bonnet Showcase at 3 p.m. and a People Bonnet Showcase at 4 p.m. at Allen Avenue. Performances include juggler Jonathan Austin, The Dads tribute band and Theatre IV’s “The Frog Prince,” among others. 788-6466 or venturerichmond.com. Harry (The Hat) Kollatz Jr. captured the experience beautifully in this post.
And that’s not all! Here’s a look at what else is going on around town:
MUSIC
The Moody Blues, 3/25
The prog rock titans soar into the Altria Theater for a performance as part of their “Fly Me High” tour. 8 p.m. $55 to $90. 800-514-3849 or altriatheater.com.
Jackson Ward, Honky Tonk Heroes, Pat Russell 3/25
A trio of Central Virginia country bands take the stage at the Beacon Theatre in Hopewell. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. $15 at the door. 401 N. Main St. 446-3457 or thebeacontheatreva.com.
Devon Sproule 3/26
Devon Sproule (Courtesy Glave Kocen Gallery)
The Sammy Kahn award-winning, world-traveling singer-songwriter will play at Glavé Kocen Gallery on Saturday, with gallery co-owner (and musician) BJ Kocen opening. Devon Sproule spent some of her time growing up in the Twin Oaks commune in Louisa County, and you can read more about her in this great New Yorker article. 8 p.m. $10. 1620 W. Main St. 358-1990 or glavekocengallery.com. Check out her song “Old Virginia Block.”
STAGE
Continuing through Saturday, March 26, “Medea Myth” is part of TheatreLab’s Cellar Series. According to the theater’s description, this new work helmed by VCU adjunct instructor and MFA candidate Brandon Sterrett is about the destructive power of love: “Rebounding off a myth that has survived for 3,000 years, it asks, ‘Why do we destroy the things we most love?’ ” The show features Mikayla Bartholomew, Mitchell Cole, Aiden Orr, Joseph Mayes, Courtney Hans, Cullan Thieman, Connor Haggerty, and Dion Torres, with original music by Robbie Kinter, music director at VCU’s Department of Dance and Choreography. 300 E. Broad St. $5 to $15. 505-0558 or theatrelabrva.org.
“I Do! I Do!” through 4/10
This intimate musical by the creators of “The Fantasticks” follows two soul mates as they navigate the joys and challenges of a 50-year marriage. It’s been extended by a week at Hanover Tavern. $40. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
“Croaker” through 4/17
The musical by Jason Marks and Debra Clinton is a contemporary re-telling of “The Princess and the Frog," playing at Virginia Rep’s Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn. $20. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
ART EXHIBITIONS
VCU Undergraduate Juried Fine Arts, Design & Kinetic Imaging Exhibitions 3/24-4/3
These annual end-of-the-year exhibitions start with an opening reception March 24 at 5 p.m. at the Anderson, 907½ W. Franklin St., and will also be shown at VCU’s Depot Gallery, 814 W. Broad St. In the fine arts exhibition alone, there are 125 undergraduate works juried by Toby Kamps, curator of modern contemporary art at the Menil Collection in Houston. arts.vcu.edu. In this interview with R•Home editor Jessica Ronky Haddad, art collector and VMFA board of trustees president Bill Royall calls these exhibitions “can’t-miss events as far as I’m concerned.”
The "Shootin' " exhibition features digital photography by Anne Savedge, who has had a long fascination with Westerns and cowgirls. (Courtesy Artspace Gallery)
Another opening this weekend is happening at Artspace, which presents five new gallery exhibitions, with a reception for the artists on Friday, March 25, from 7 to 10 p.m. Digital photography by Anne Savedge, sculptural ceramics by Claire Parrish, fiber and mixed media by Robin Ryder and drawings, modified imagery and animation by Bill Porter will be featured, along with mixed media works by Richmond artists in the Suzanne Foley Gallery. Exhibitions continue through April 17, and the artists will hold a gallery talk at 2 p.m. on that day. 0 E. Fourth St. 232-6464 or artspacegallery.org.
As those open, a few other shows are wrapping up this weekend:
“Triangle, Circle, Square” through 3/26
New York City-based artists Jennifer Lauren Smith and Andrew Brehm collaborate to create a multi-channel video installation at Gallery5 consisting of three video-graphic vignettes, each depicting a geometric sculpture or shape inserted by the artists into a natural environment. 200 W. Marshall St. 510-0488 or gallery5arts.org.
“Greg Osterhaus: New Works” through 3/26
The artist is known for his vibrant rural Virginia landscapes and cow paintings. Glavé Kocen Gallery. 1620 W. Main St. 358-1990 or glavekocengallery.com.=
“Constructing from Life” and “Resting On Is Relying On” through 3/26
Paintings by Peri Schwartz and sculpture by Jere Williams at Page Bond Gallery. 1625 W. Main St. 359-3633 or pagebondgallery.com.
“Annual Judged Art Show 2016” through 3/28
About 40 artists are participating in the show, judged by professional artist Jos Biviano. All works are for sale, and 15 percent of proceeds will benefit Easter Seals. For Art’s Sake Gallery & Studio, 9770 Gayton Road. 740-1400 or forartssakegallery.com.
Continuing exhibitions include:
Slipper Chair (Grape Vine and Oak Leaf), circa 1860. Designed and manufactured by John Henry Belter, New York City (photo by Douglas J. Eng)
“The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design” through 4/17
Organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation, this exhibition at the Virginia Historical Society features 44 chairs from the early 19th century to the present, chosen for their beauty and historical context. $20. 358-4901 or vahistorical.org.
“Subject to Change” through 4/23
Works by David Emitt Adams, K.K. DePaul, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Lisa Kokin, Tarrah Krajnak, Rachel Phillips and Kris Sanford at Candela Books + Gallery. 214 W. Broad St. 225-5527 or candelabooks.com.
“Fine Art and Furniture” through 4/30
This show at Ashland’s Gallery Flux pairs paintings by a variety of artists with artisan-made furniture and pottery. 307-B England St. 752-3540 or galleryflux.com.
“Hyperrealism: Beyond the Photograph” through 5/15
Artist Sharon Guyton Lalik says in an artist’s statement that “painting in a photographic style allows me to showcase an ordinary subject in an extraordinary way, revealing its intricate details, blemishes, and irregularities.” See her work in the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen’s Gumenick Family Gallery. 261-2787 or artsglenallen.com.
“Different Trends” through 5/31
Works by Ugandan artist Hassan Mukiibi at Elegba Folklore Society. 101 E. Broad St., 644-3900 or efsinc.org.
“Thomas R. Schiff: Virginia 360°” through 6/19
Contemporary photographer Thomas R. Schiff made these 40 panoramic images in Virginia between 2004 and 2013. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Free. 340-1400 or vmfa.museum
Also check out our Art Guide for a directory of Richmond-area museums, galleries and exhibition spaces:
